Taking Dance Classes? Here’s How to Stay Flexible Over the Holidays

Dance Academy USA’s Winter Break is from Dec. 24 thru Jan. 5. Don’t let your muscles become stiff during the two-week closure! Here’s how to stay flexible over the holidays so you can resume dance classes with ease in January.

Stretching Tips

As you stretch on your own during Winter Break, keep these tips in mind:

Get moving first thing in the morning: Start your day off right with some physical activity right after you wake up. Just don’t jump immediately into static stretching – your muscles need time to warm up first.

Stretch with whole-body movements: Dynamic stretching is best in the morning or right before a workout. This uses large, full-body movements to stretch and warm up your muscles at the same time. Lunges, arm swings and hip rolls are examples of dynamic stretches.

Focus on increasing strength with movement: Any time you can combine a stretch with a strength-training exercise allows you to get twice the benefit in half the time.

Work on any trouble spots: If you’ve been trying to master your center splits, put more time into stretching this part of your body.

Don’t over-stretch: As you focus on trouble areas, remember not to over-stretch. Don’t bounce into your stretches, and if you feel any pain, ease up a little.

Care for your spine: Remember to keep your abs engaged and your back straight, no matter what stretches you do. Good posture while stretching prevents spine injuries.

Do the Right Stretches

If your teacher leads stretching sessions before every dance class, continue to do this on your own during Winter Break. Here are some other stretches we recommend:

Hamstring stretch: Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Reach forward and touch your toes. Hold for 20 seconds, release for a few moments and repeat.

Foot stretch: Crouch down on the floor with all your weight on the balls of your feet. Lean forward onto your toes to feel a stretch in the arch of your foot. Hold onto a chair for stability while doing this stretch.

Splits: Maintain your ability to do the splits by performing this stretch in every possible direction: left, right and center. For a different angle, place your foot high on a wall and lean into the stretch. You can also do the splits while lying on your back. Put your feet in the air with your ankles crossed, and then open your hips as wide as you can. Return to the starting position, and repeat this move 10 more times.

Lunges: This exercise increases leg strength while stretching your muscles. Do standard forward lunges and side lunges for maximum effect.

Happy Holidays from all of us here at Dance Academy USA! If you have any questions about your dance classes over Winter Break, please contact us online or send us an email at officeteam@danceacademyusa.com.